


Caught Red Handed

by CaptainJimothyCarter



Series: Tumblr Prompt Fics [53]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bad Ass Peggy, Drabble, F/M, I dont like it much but it works, Mid Scene Injection, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), This takes place with the theory that Steve was always her husband, We Die Like Men, during endgame, no edit, tumblr drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:27:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27412696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJimothyCarter/pseuds/CaptainJimothyCarter
Summary: What happens if Steve was caught during the Time Heist in 1970?
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Series: Tumblr Prompt Fics [53]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952281
Comments: 8
Kudos: 58





	Caught Red Handed

Each step was a memory for him. Each step brought him back to another time, Christ almost a hundred years ago. He felt more ancient with that thought drilling into his head. He was ancient. And yet, as he walked down the hall, eyes down to avoid suspicion, he felt smaller. A whole foot and a half smaller, a whole hundred pounds lighter too. If he even breathed hard, he might feel that familiar feeling of asthma making it hard to breathe or the ache in his muscles from arthritis.

In a sense, he felt at home in Camp Lehigh, where he’d first started this journey. Funny, how it all came back around to here. How he was brought back home.

With his breath in his throat, Steve’s head dipped down further to step inside the nearest door, softly closing it behind him and laying his head back on the frame. His heart was beating in his throat, listening to the several pairs of feet past the door, the pair talking through the radios slowly died down. His eyes opened to take in the darkroom, his heart in his throat when he spots something familiar.

A photo of him, much smaller during his time here. That felt like a lifetime ago, even as his fingers traced over the frame. There was only one person who would have this… _No._

His eyes fell onto the door he’d just entered, reading the name etched into the glass. Director Margaret Carter.

Peggy. 

His eyes fell to the very woman across the room, a heavy sigh leaving his lips. No. How? How?!

The sigh took every bit of emotion out of him, the exhaustion, the fear, the longing, the want. He could feel his own face crumbling as he took the few steps closer until he was direct across from her. If she so raised her head, she’d see him. She was so close.

This close, he could see the streaks of silver in her hair, still prim and proper. He could count the freckles on her nose, the lashes on her eyes. He could hear her talking, sharply giving orders to agents just out of sight. Until a door slammed close, jostling the frame.

This. This is the woman he loved. Aged with grace and beauty. Wise beyond her years and finally in the power that she deserves. This is the woman that he wants. The person he needs to be with. This is the woman he craves to be with him in bed at night. Rather than being alone. This is the whole life he could’ve had before him. And the reality as he holds his own picture in his hand and watches her leave the room, a life he will never get.

A life he should get, he deserves to get. One stolen from him.

His throat feels tight, aware he’d been staring at the love of his life with his mouth hanging open. The tears burn his eyes. He blinks a few times in a rapid session, feeling the press of something metallic against his backside. His breath hitches as his eyes focus on the figure behind him, able to make her out in the reflection.

Peggy. 

“It’s not often I get someone bold or stupid enough to break into my office,” Peggy mused, her voice still crisp and cusp as he remembered. No strain in her throat. The strokes hadn’t happened yet. “Tell me exactly who you are and what the hell you’re trying to steal from us.”

The picture fell from his grip, catching it with his foot so the frame didn’t break. He could see her eyes darting to it and had he been any other person, Steve would’ve taken that advantage of the distraction. Instead, his hands rose in the air to mimic surrender. The gun only dug deeper.

“You won’t believe me if I tried,” he whispered, keeping his voice soft and low, not wanting to show it was him. How did he explain everything? He couldn't. Tony was waiting for him.

“Try me,” Peggy scoffed. “And tell me why in the hell do you have his photo?” 

There was that strain in her voice. Oh. That tugged on his heart, that killed him.

“Pe-Marge, I can’t. You just have to trust me, for the greater good, you’ll have to trust a stranger.” He was grasping at straws here, feeling them fall from his fingertips. He was going to lose it. How badly did he want to turn around and sweep her into his arms. To kiss her. Love her. 

“Director.” A sharp correction, the gun digging harder, and the sound of it cocking made Steve shiver. “I’m no patient woman, agent. So tell me what in the hell you are doing here and you might get off easy.”

He couldn’t help it. He snorted. It was not the right time but the words it just drag a memory from him that he forgot. Get off easy. The last time Peggy had said that was to Bucky and Dugan when they’d been caught cheating at poker with her.

The gun faltered and he heard her breath hitch. It was quiet enough that she could hear her heart beating a tad bit faster. 

“Steve?” Her face paled of all color when he sighed and turned around, hands still in the air. “How-how are you…?”

The pain mirrored in his eyes as he looked down at her, his eyes brimming with tears. His breath left him in that painful gasp, the love of his life, the very want and need before him. And all he was doing was causing her pain. 

“You won’t believe me,” he whispered, slowly taking the gun from her and forcing that shaken smile. “Peggy. Christ...you…” The tears rolled down his cheek, unaware he was even breaking down until she’d touched him. He didn’t want to touch her, to ruin her. He was so selfish.

“Darling, what is it?” She asked as if she wasn’t crying, even as he bundled her into his arms. 

His face pressed into her shoulder, even her smell was familiar. Still the same scent from the war. His hand came to the back of her curls and stroked over her hair, sniffing as their foreheads pressed together. 

“I love you,” was all he could say, giving a shake of his head. “And I am fucking up so much by being here. I shouldn’t be here but I...this was on pure accident, I…”

“I know,” Peggy whispered, cupping his face again. “I know. He warned me and yet...I’m still surprised.” At Steve’s confused look, his brow knitting together, Peggy raised her ring finger. On it sat a tarnished ring that looked vaguely familiar. One that sat on his bedside table at this very moment, tarnished and rusted, but still his. The one he carried for so long to give to Peggy, to ask her to be his.

His eyes lit up, looking between the ring and her, Peggy’s head nodding.

“You came back. You always come back. It’s okay, darling. You’ll get your happy ending soon.”  
  
\--  
  
Later that evening Peggy would go home to her beautiful yellow house with the wrap-around porch. She will climb the steps one by one and the door will open on her arrival. Before she will be the familiar face of her husband. The only one that’s held her heart.

She will melt into his arms as expected of her, as she wants and weeps. Steve had warned her for weeks that today was the day. That he would visit her. That she should not intervene but curiosity got the better of her. He would know because he would remember. And still yet, despite the warning, the sight of the younger Steve, the story playing in her head as to how their life came to be, it broke her heart.

“He looked so broken,” she whispered as they laid in bed together, Steve bundling her into his chest. “So heartbroken, so worried, so...”

“Lost,” Steve, a much older Steve with touches of gray in his hair and his voice an octave deeper. “Yes, I was. Even with you guiding my way, I seem to have gotten lost. Seeing you there...it broke something in me. It made me realize something, Pegs.”

“That olive green is not your color?” She teased, making Steve roll his eyes. She wiggled as he tickled her, the smile not quite reaching his eyes. She touched his cheek and pulled him into a soft kiss. “What is it?”

“How I was not as happy as I seemed, how I forced myself to be happy. How...I still and always loved you, no matter how much I denied it.”

Peggy’s fingers hadn’t left his cheek, pressing her forehead to his, their hands joined together. “And I will tell you something I told him. I love you too. I will never stop loving you but if you break into my office _again_ like that I will run you through with my letter opener.”

Steve chuckled against her lips, shaking his head. “As one expects. Good thing I came back with roses or we might’ve had a problem.”

“No, darling, _you_ would’ve had a problem.


End file.
